Obituary: Robert D. Foster

Robert D. Foster 1947 ~ 2007 Robert Dennis Foster, age 60, passed away March 11, 2007, from kidney cancer. Bob was born on March 2, 1947, in Nampa, Idaho, the son of John Ray and Ellafair Kendrick Foster. He grew up in Nampa and loved the rural feel of the community. After attending one year at Ricks College, Bob served an LDS mission to the Eastern States. Upon his return he attended BYU for two years before he "won" the Vietnam draft lottery and joined the army in 1970. Following basic training, Bob was assigned to Schweinfurt, Germany, with the troops patrolling the east-west border during the Cold War. While stationed there, he began to correspond with Tina Vilches. They were married in the LDS Temple on Jan. 22, 1972; later divorced. From this union were born three children whom he dearly loved: Rebecca Foster, Mishka Foster, and Micah Foster. Bob served a total of 10 years in the military. After returning from Germany he was stationed in the Washington, DC area. Through the military he was able to complete his bachelor's degree in computer science at BYU, after which he worked for four years at the Pentagon. Bob enjoyed his time in the service and was always grateful for the opportunity to serve his country. In 1980 Bob began to work for Ore-Ida Foods in Boise, Idaho. Two years later he moved to Utah to join the Family History Department of the LDS Church in developing new genealogy computer systems. He was on the initial core team that developed Personal Ancestral File, and he also designed the conceptual framework for GEDCOM - a program that enables various computer programs to share genealogical information. Later Bob led a team that developed portions of the LDS Church Internet site. He ended his career in data security, having completed the stringent requirements necessary to become certified as a data security engineer the week before his cancer diagnosis. On October 6, 1994, Bob married Marilyn M. Brown in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. He was a dear husband to her and became a wonderful influence in the lives of her family members, including children Bryan Brown, Becky Brown, Gregory and Elizabeth Grimshaw, Adriel and Deborah Burkholder, Mike Brown, James and Marianne Cone; and grandchildren Jason and Jared Brown; Meg and William Grimshaw; Allison, Isaac, Anna, and Jonathan Burkholder; and J.J. Cone. Bob was sincere in his commitments to his family and church, having participated in church service throughout his life. He had a gift for accepting people as they are but also nurturing their potential. A teacher once described him as "good, steady Bob," and he remained a man of honesty and integrity throughout his life. He loved science, the outdoors, and the world of nature and was committed to continued growth and learning in every aspect of his life. In addition to his wife, children, step-children, and grandchildren, Bob is survived by his brother John (Karen) Foster and sister Delores (Dee) Lowder, parents-in-law Gordon and Velma Miller, and in-laws Stephen (Karen) Miller, Richard (Jenae) Miller, and Francis Vassar. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Jacqueline Vassar, and grandson Joshua Brown. Funeral services will be held Sat., March 17, 2007 at 11:00 a.m. in the Holladay North Stake Center, 4395 S. Albright Dr, Holladay, Utah. Viewings will take place Friday evening at Larkin Sunset Lawn, 2350 E. 1300 S., Salt Lake City, from 6-8 p.m., and Saturday at the church from 9:30-10:30 a.m. The family wishes to thank the caring, competent health care professionals who assisted Bob for the past year and a half, as well as the huge network of family, friends, neighbors, and work associates who have provided such great love and support throughout his illness. For those wishing to do so, Bob would be honored by donations made in his name to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation.